Catheter-related UTI
UTI - catheter associated; Urinary tract infection - catheter associated; Nosocomial UTI; Health care-associated UTI; Catheter-associated bacteriuria; Hospital-acquired UTIA urinary catheter is a tube in your bladder that removes urine from the body. This tube may stay in place for an extended period of time. If so, it is called an indwelling catheter. The urine drains from your bladder into a bag outside your body.
Indwelling catheter
A urinary catheter is a tube placed in the body to drain and collect urine from the bladder.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWhen you have an indwelling urinary catheter, you are more likely to develop a urinary tract infection (UTI) in your bladder or kidneys.
Causes
Many types of bacteria or fungi can cause a catheter-related UTI. This type of UTI is harder to treat with common antibiotics.
Common reasons to have an indwelling catheter are:
- Urine leakage (incontinence)
Incontinence
Stress urinary incontinence occurs when your bladder leaks urine during physical activity or exertion. It may happen when you cough, sneeze, lift so...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Not being able to empty your bladder
- Surgery on your bladder, prostate, or vagina
During a hospital stay, you may have an indwelling catheter:
- Right after any type of surgery
- If you are unable to urinate
- If the amount of urine you produce needs to be monitored
- If you are very ill and cannot control your urine
Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms are:
- Abnormal urine color or cloudy urine
Abnormal urine color
The usual color of urine is straw-yellow. Abnormally-colored urine may be cloudy, dark, or blood-colored.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Blood in the urine (hematuria)
Blood in the urine
Blood in your urine is called hematuria. The amount may be very small and only detected with urine tests or under a microscope. In other cases, the...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleHematuria
Blood in your urine is called hematuria. The amount may be very small and only detected with urine tests or under a microscope. In other cases, the...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Foul or strong urine odor
- Frequent and strong urge to urinate
- Pressure, pain, or spasms in your back or the lower part of your belly
Other symptoms that may occur with a UTI:
- Chills
- Fever
Fever
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Flank pain
Flank pain
Flank pain is pain in one side of the body between the upper belly area (abdomen) and the back.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Mental changes or confusion (these may be the only signs of a UTI in an older person)
Mental changes
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleConfusion
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...
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Exams and Tests
Urine tests will check for infection:
- Urinalysis may show white blood cells (WBCs) or red blood cells (RBCs).
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Urine culture can help determine the type of bacteria in the urine. This will help your health care provider decide on the best antibiotic to use.
Urine culture
A urine culture is a lab test to check for bacteria or other germs in a urine sample. It can be used to check for a urinary tract infection in adults...
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Your provider may recommend:
- Ultrasound of the abdomen or pelvis
- CT exam of the abdomen or pelvis
Treatment
People with an indwelling catheter will often have an abnormal urinalysis and culture from urine in the bag. But even if these tests are abnormal, you may not have a UTI. This fact makes it harder for your provider to choose whether to treat you.
If you also have symptoms of a UTI, your provider will likely treat you with antibiotics.
If you do not have symptoms, your provider will treat you with antibiotics only if:
- You are pregnant
- You are undergoing a procedure related to urinary tract
Most of the time, you can take antibiotics by mouth. It is very important to take all of the prescribed pills, even if you feel better before you finish them. If your infection is more severe, you may receive medicine into a vein. You may also receive medicine to lessen bladder spasms.
You will need more fluids to help flush bacteria out of your bladder. If you are treating yourself at home, this may mean drinking 6 to 8 glasses of fluid a day. You should ask your provider how much fluid is safe for you. Avoid fluids that may irritate your bladder, such as alcohol, citrus juices, and drinks that contain caffeine.
After you have finished your treatment, you may have another urine test. This test will make sure the germs are gone.
Your catheter will need to be changed when you have a UTI. If you have many UTIs, your provider may remove the catheter. The provider may also:
- Ask you to insert a urine catheter intermittently so you don't keep one in all the time
- Suggest other urine collection devices
- Suggest surgery so you do not need a catheter
- Use a special coated catheter that can reduce risk of infection
- Prescribe a low-dose antibiotic or other antibacterial for you to take every day
This can help prevent bacteria from growing in your catheter.
Outlook (Prognosis)
UTIs related to catheters can be harder to treat than other UTIs. Having many infections over time may lead to kidney damage or kidney stones and bladder stones.
Untreated UTI may develop kidney damage or more severe infections.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your provider if you have:
- Any symptoms of a UTI
-
Back or flank pain
Flank pain
Flank pain is pain in one side of the body between the upper belly area (abdomen) and the back.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Fever
Fever
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Vomiting
Vomiting
Nausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...
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Prevention
If you have an indwelling catheter, you must do these things to help prevent infection:
You must do these things to help preven...
You have an indwelling catheter (tube) in your bladder. "Indwelling" means inside your body. This catheter drains urine from your bladder into a ba...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article- Clean around the catheter opening every day.
- Clean the catheter with soap and water every day.
- Clean your rectal area thoroughly after every bowel movement.
- Keep your drainage bag lower than your bladder. This prevents the urine in the bag from going back into your bladder.
- Empty the drainage bag at least once every 8 hours, or whenever it is full.
Empty the drainage bag
Urine drainage bags collect urine. Your bag will attach to a catheter (tube) that is inside your bladder. You may have a catheter and urine drainag...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Have your indwelling catheter changed at least once a month.
- Wash your hands before and after you touch your urine.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Catheter-associated urinary tract infection basics. www.cdc.gov/uti/about/cauti-basics.html. Updated April 15, 2024. Accessed June 28, 2024.
Drekonja D. Approach to the patient with urinary tract infection. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 263.
Jacob JM, Sundaram CP. Lower urinary tract catheterization. Partin AW, Dmochowski RR, Kavoussi LR, Peters CA, eds. Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 11.
Trautner BW, Hooton TM. Health care-associated urinary tract infections. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 302.
Bladder catheterization - female - illustration
A catheter (a hollow tube, often with an inflatable balloon tip) may be inserted into the urinary bladder when there is a urinary obstruction, following surgical procedures to the urethra, in unconscious patients (due to surgical anesthesia, coma, or other reasons), or for any other problem in which the bladder needs to be kept empty (decompressed) and urinary flow assured. The balloon holds the catheter in place for a duration of time.
Bladder catheterization - female
illustration
Bladder catheterization - male - illustration
Catheterization is accomplished by inserting a catheter (a hollow tube, often with and inflatable balloon tip) into the urinary bladder. This procedure is performed for urinary obstruction, following surgical procedures to the urethra, in unconscious patients (due to surgical anesthesia, coma, or other reasons), or for any other problem in which the bladder needs to be kept empty (decompressed) and urinary flow assured. The balloon holds the catheter in place for a duration of time. Catheterization in males is slightly more difficult and uncomfortable than in females because of the longer urethra.
Bladder catheterization - male
illustration
Bladder catheterization - female - illustration
A catheter (a hollow tube, often with an inflatable balloon tip) may be inserted into the urinary bladder when there is a urinary obstruction, following surgical procedures to the urethra, in unconscious patients (due to surgical anesthesia, coma, or other reasons), or for any other problem in which the bladder needs to be kept empty (decompressed) and urinary flow assured. The balloon holds the catheter in place for a duration of time.
Bladder catheterization - female
illustration
Bladder catheterization - male - illustration
Catheterization is accomplished by inserting a catheter (a hollow tube, often with and inflatable balloon tip) into the urinary bladder. This procedure is performed for urinary obstruction, following surgical procedures to the urethra, in unconscious patients (due to surgical anesthesia, coma, or other reasons), or for any other problem in which the bladder needs to be kept empty (decompressed) and urinary flow assured. The balloon holds the catheter in place for a duration of time. Catheterization in males is slightly more difficult and uncomfortable than in females because of the longer urethra.
Bladder catheterization - male
illustration
- Urinary tract infection - InDepth(In-Depth)
Review Date: 5/17/2024
Reviewed By: Sovrin M. Shah, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.